Oleksandr Usyk detained at airport before Anthony Joshua fight as wife gives update | Boxing | Sport
Polish police detained Oleksandr Usyk on Sept. 25 before watching boxing’s big matchup between Daniel Dubois and Anthony Joshua.
A video surfaced online showing Usyk, the world heavyweight boxing champion, nodding his head in agreement to authorities before being detained at the Krakow Airport In the footage, Usyk is seen surrounded by at least five officers who proceed to handcuff the boxer and escort him through a corridor.
A second uploaded video showed Usyk being escorted by an officer who physically held onto his handcuffs. A follow-up official was present to lead Usyk through the facilities as boxing fans urged for more information about the star’s alleged arrest.
Ukrainian politician Jean Beleniuk responded to the news on social media, writing, “Oleksandr Usyk was arrested at Krakow airport. The circumstances are being clarified.”
Usyk’s wife, Kateryna, attempted to ease the concerns on social media after the footage of his alleged arrest became public. She wrote, “Everything is fine, everything is fine. Oleksandr will explain everything later. Nothing is criminal. Goodnight, everyone.”
President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said he spoke to Usyk when he was officially detained. “I was outraged by this attitude towards our citizen and champion. He instructed the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, Andriy Sibiza, and the Minister of Internal Affairs of Ukraine, Ihor Klymenko, to immediately find out all the details of the incident at the Krakow airport,” reported Zelenskyy. “As soon as I was informed that everything is fine, our champion was released and no one is detaining him anymore.”
Just hours before the video surfaced, the Ukrainian heavyweight champion was seen in his latest Instagram story suiting up for FC Polissya. Usyk signed a one-season deal with the Ukrainian football club in 2023 while continuing to defend his boxing world titles.
The 37-year-old boxer was actively preparing for his highly anticipated rematch against Tyson Fury, scheduled for Dec 21st. As part of those preparations, Usyk recently promoted a contest on social media, inviting aspiring fighters and fans to apply for a chance to become an official sparring partner in his training camp.
Boxing fans stayed on X, speculating about the alleged arrest as authorities provided little to no public information. One fan expressed disbelief, writing, “Why would they arrest him? Leave Usyk alone—he’s the best boxer in the world, one of the top five heavyweight boxers in history, and a Ukrainian national sports hero.”
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Another fan attempted to offer grounded reasoning like Kateryna, suggesting that Usyk was scheduled to be a Polish journalist’s guest on the show. Due to the strict nature instilled within the guards of the Polish border, the video could have read more severe than it was, which would align with his wife’s statement.
Oleksandr and Kateryna Usyk have been married since 2009. Kateryna’s primary focus is running the family foundation. Together, they have three children: Kyrylo, Mykhailo, and Yelizaveta Usyk.
